Jake's Super Mario Kart
'' (2017) |released=Q4 2018 - Q1 2019 |genre=Kart racing |modes=1-4 players locally, 1-8 players via wireless network connection, 1-12 players via online connection |ratings=E for Everyone (ESRB) 3 (PEGI) A (CERO) |platforms=Nintendo Switch |media=Nintendo Switch Cartridge }} Mario Kart 9 (Japanese: マリオカート9 Mario Kāto 9) is the ninth main instalment of the Mario Kart series. It was developed by Nintendo EPD and Existence Software for exclusive release on the Nintendo Switch. The game is the successor to 2017's , and several assets are taken directly from this game. Unlike other recent Mario Kart titles, Mario Kart 9 does not introduce any new gimmicks that factor into the design of the courses, though underwater, gliding, and zero gravity segments return. Much more emphasis has been placed on item usage, and the amount of items present in the game has been substantially increased from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with three items not present in it returning from past games in addition to seven brand new ones. The Battle Mode from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also returns, as does the Mission Mode from Mario Kart DS. Gameplay Maintaining most elements from previous Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 9 is a kart-racing video game with a heavy emphasis on using items to hinder opposing racers. Players pick a character, which is placed in one of six different weight classes that determine the base stats of the character's vehicle. Players are then able to mix-and-match different customization pieces in order to create their vehicle, which they will then use to race around various obstacle course-like racetracks in an attempt to place first out of twelve other racers. Players receive different amounts of points depending on their position at the end of the race; with the winner of the Grand Prix determined by the one with the most points overall. For the first time in the series, Mario Kart 9 features 15 racers, as opposed to the 12 of Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8 or the 8 of all other titles in the series. During a race, racers can drive through Item Boxes to be granted an item through a roulette. As previously stated, these items are the main focus of a race, as using them may hinder other racers and/or aid the player. These items vary in usefulness depending on the distance from the current frontrunner; with racers closer to the frontrunner receiving less-powerful items (i.e. Banana Peels or Green Shells), while racers furthest from the frontrunner receiving the most powerful items in the game (i.e. Spiny Shell and Lightning). A mechanic that returns from previous instalments is the ability to carry up to two items at once, though Mario Kart 9 allows racers to carry two without needing to hold one behind their kart. With the ability to hold up to two items, racers can switch between the two of them at will. All four vehicle classes from Mario Kart 8 return in Mario Kart 9, these being the kart, inside-drifting bike, outside-drifting bike, and ATV. As with its predecessor, the bikes of Mario Kart 9 handle much differently from their Mario Kart Wii counterparts, instead handling very similarly to the karts and only performing wheelies - now purely aesthetic - when boosting. Grand Prix Racecourses There are 60 race courses in the game, split between twelve different cups. The Mushroom, Flower, Acorn, Star, and Special Cups feature brand new tracks, the Shell, Banana, Leaf, Boomerang, and Lightning Cups feature courses from previous games, and the Heart, Egg, Bell, Cherry, and Moon Cups feature mixtures of both. As with in Mario Kart 8, all retro courses feature updated graphics and course layouts; though those from Mario Kart 8 remain unchanged and those from Mario Kart 7 primarily only see a graphical upgrade with few changes. Time Trial Time Trial returns from previous instalments of the series. Just as in previous entries in the series, Time Trial mode sees players testing their skills out on a racecourse by racing against no CPUs with no items available to them besides three Mushrooms. The aim is to complete a race in as little time as possible, utilizing shortcuts and mini-turbos to shave as much time off of the timer to earn a better score. Players can also test their skills out by racing against Staff Ghosts - ghosts based off Time Trial attempts of staff members who worked on the game - or they could save their own attempts or download those of other players. Staff Ghosts VS. Race Battle Mode Mario Kart 9 features an expanded version of the Battle Mode found in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and all five different modes that appeared in that game return alongside three new ones, bringing the total number of game modes to eight. These eight game modes are: Balloon Battle, Bob-omb Blast, Coin Runners, Shine Thief, Renegade Roundup, Thunderclap Dash, Boo Bounce, and Prankster Playground. * Balloon Battle: Each participant is given five balloons, and loses a balloon when they are hit by an item. The objective is to hit other players, as a participant will gain a point whenever they successfully manage to make one of their opponents lose a balloon; should a participant lose all of their balloons, they will respawn with three and be deducted half of their points (rounded up). Players may also use Mushrooms to steal the balloons of other participants. The player with the most amount of points when time runs out wins. * Bob-omb Blast: All participants can only obtain Bob-ombs from Item Boxes, though they can not be harmed by those they (or their teammates) throw. Unlike in races and other battle modes, where the player can only hold up to two different items, all participants may carry up to 10 Bob-ombs at one time. Like in Balloon Battle, all participants begin the battle with five balloons and will lose one upon being hit; should they lose all their balloons, they will lose half of their points (rounded up). The player with the most amount of points when time runs out wins. * Coin Runners: The aim of the game is to collect coins, which are scattered around the course. Participants can attack each other with items to make their opponents lose coins, though they can be harmed by their own items. The player with the most amount of coins when time runs out wins. * Shine Thief: A large Shine Sprite will spawn somewhere on the map, and the objective is that a single racer (or team) must hold on to it for a 20-second count (30 in team battles). The person carrying the Shine Sprite moves much slower than those trying to steal it from them; the Shine Sprite will drop onto the ground once the one carrying it is hit by an item (though boosting into them with a Mushroom will steal it directly). * Renegade Roundup: Renegade Roundup is the Mario Kart equivalent of Cops and Robbers, and as such is always a team-based game. There are two teams: the law (who all carry Potted Piranha Plants at all times), and those dodging them (the titular renegades). Both the renegades and the law can obtain items to throw at each other, though the law's Piranha Plants will bite at the renegades should they be close enough, sending them into one of the jails that remain stationary on the map. Those sent to jail can be released by hitting the switch located directly beneath it. The law wins by rounding up all the renegades at a single time, while the renegades win by successfully dodging the law until time runs out. * Moon Mash: Moon Mash is, in name, a new game mode introduced in Mario Kart 9, though is based off the Shine Runners mode from Mario Kart DS. In Moon Mash, a total of 15 Power Moons are dropped onto the stage, and players must collect as many of them as they can within 30 seconds. Once the timer ends, the one(s) with the least amount of Moons is eliminated from the competition, though they can still drive around and attack others with items. This will continue until only one player, or multiple members of only a single team, remain. When a player is hit by an item, they will lose half of their current number of Power Moons, but unlike Coin Runners, the Moons will respawn in another place immediately instead of simply landing around the one who dropped them. Additionally, when fewer than six players remain, the amount of Power Moons that will spawn will decrease to nine. * Prankster Playground: Prankster Playground is an entirely-new mode introduced in Mario Kart 9, and can be seen as Mario Kart's version of the Turf War mode from Splatoon. All racers have Magic Paintbrushes strapped to their vehicles, and driving around will paint their colour on the ground- any item they use will also paint the ground where it travels as well as within a small radius around those hit by these items. The participant or team with the most amount of turf covered at the end of the time limit is the winner. Battle Courses Mission Mode Mission Mode returns in Mario Kart 9, having last been seen in Mario Kart DS. There are 40 new missions in the game, and feature a variety of different challenges on several different courses. The mode also incorporates elements from the online tournaments of Mario Kart Wii; such as modifying certain battle courses into race courses or pitting players against CPU racers with unique abilities. Mission Mode is not unlocked by default: 5 missions are unlocked each time the player completes a cup for the first time in any engine class. That means the player must complete each cup at least once in order to unlock all missions. Every ten missions (Missions 10, 20, 30, and 40) is a boss battle, where players are pitted against unique foes that do not appear anywhere else in the game. All boss battle missions take place in large octagonal rooms each with their own unique appearances and gimmicks that match the boss that is fought. Missions 5, 15, 25, and 35 are mini-boss battle missions, and, once completed, will unlock the miniboss for use in other modes as a playable racer. These boss battle missions are highlighted with blue backgrounds in the table below. Characters Playable Characters Default Characters All characters that return from previous Mario Kart titles are available at the start of the game, barring those that originate from other Nintendo franchises. Unlockable Characters All characters that appear in Mario Kart 9 that did not appear in previous titles must be unlocked. Guest Characters All characters hailing from non-''Mario'' titles must also be unlocked, regardless of whether they previously appeared in the series or not. Unlike other characters with alternate designs, all guest characters will only appear as CPU drivers using their "base" design. Non-Playable Characters Course Obstacles Items Vehicle Parts There are three types of vehicle parts: tires, bodies, and gliders. In addition to these three types of parts, there are four different types of vehicle types that are defined by their body types: karts, standard (outside-drift) motorbikes, sport (inside-drift) motorbikes, and all-terrain vehicles. Some body types change colour depending on the character that is using it; some additional bodies will change only should certain characters use them. Each vehicle features its own stats, though several are only shown in the game's coding and not to the player directly; the only stats shown to the player are Ground Speed (as "Speed"), Acceleration, Traction, Weight, Ground Handling (as "Handling"), and Off-Road. Some parts must be unlocked before they can be used. Parts can be unlocked by collecting coins, with a random unlockable part becoming usable when the player's cumulative number of coins reaches a certain amount; every 50 coins up until the player collects 1000 coins, then a part is unlocked for every 100 coins collected. There do exist some exceptions to this, namely the three Gold vehicle pieces - the Gold Tires, Gold Standard, and Gold Glider. These three Gold vehicle pieces are unlocked simultaneously by obtaining a 3-star ranking on all cups across all engine classes. Several vehicles return from previous Mario Kart games, while many new vehicle parts have also been added. Most of the vehicle parts featured in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe return, and feature their stat adjustments from that game. Additionally, like in previous games, some vehicles change colour depending on the character driving it, and all characters have their own unique emblem design that appears on some parts. Vehicle Bodies Karts Standard Motorbikes Sport Motorbikes All-Terrain Vehicles Wheels Gliders Gallery ACL-Mario_Kart_Switch.png|Original logo, for "Mario Kart Switch" ACL-Mario Kart 9 logo.png|Final English logo Trivia Category:Games Category:Mario Kart Games Category:Mario Games Category:Racing Games Category:Nintendo Switch Games